Career and Technical Education Newsletter

CTE Newsletter  
November 2024

This update is provided by the Career and Technical Education team at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (Commission). We welcome your support in encouraging anyone who would benefit from the information to join our listserv. Individuals can sign up here. Questions can be shared with CTE@che.in.gov.

The Indiana Department of Education released the annual High School Course Titles and Descriptions (CTD) earlier today through their weekly newsletter. The 2025-2026 CTD can be found here.

IDOE is finalizing a separate companion document for the 2025-2026 school year which will include information such as course codes and titles, course durations, available credits, recommended and required course prerequisites, dual credit designations, and which course(s) support a variety of Graduation Pathways.

Prior to the release of the companion document, supplemental information related to CTE courses can be found here. This information will also be included in the companion document when released by IDOE. All changes to the CTE section from last year are outlined at the beginning of the document and in the change log at the end.

New National Career Cluster Framework: Earlier this fall, Advance CTE released a modernized career cluster framework. Career clusters are primarily utilized as an organizing tool for CTE programs of study. The newly released national framework led Indiana to make some adjustments to ensure alignment. Some CTE programs of study have moved to different clusters, become part of a newly created career cluster, or had a cluster name change. These changes are described in the Course Titles and Descriptions linked above and reflected throughout the document. Other CTE resources will be updated to reflect these adjustments in the coming weeks.

The new framework and additional information can be found on Advance CTE’s website here.

School corporations received their funding allotment for industry certification exams taken during the 2023-2024 school year earlier this month. The amounts schools received can be found in this spreadsheet. These funds were allotted to all eligible entities based on data submitted prior to September 1, 2024.

Funds were distributed by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education with the following subject line - “FY 2023-2024 Industry Cert Reimbursement”. Schools who received this funding should utilize Fund 3749 with the receipt account number of 3293. There are no specific restrictions on usage of funds. Additional information regarding the certification reimbursement process was outlined in this memo.

Contact CTE@che.in.gov with any questions about the certification reimbursement process.

Beginning December 2024 through the spring semester, Nextech will be providing a no-cost, virtual, professional learning opportunity for instructors of the new Computer Science course, Computing Foundations for a Digital Age (4565). This course is the preferred option for students to meet Indiana’s new computer science requirement, as detailed in this memo. All five required topic areas within the course will be covered through this learning opportunity including computing systems, networks and the internet, data and analysis, algorithms, and impacts of computing.

This is a great opportunity for instructors who may not already be licensed in IT or computer science to receive support in teaching this new course. Attendees will receive support and resources including, a curriculum plan aligned to Indiana standards and competencies for the 4565 course, a set of virtual workshops, PGP hours, and a stipend of $400-$700 (dependent on how many sessions an individual attends). For more information, check out the Nextech website here.

Registration is open for the Commission’s annual Student Advocates Conference. The Student Advocates Conference brings together Indiana college and high school mentors, advisors, and other advocates to attend valuable educational sessions from Commission staff.

The virtual conference will take place on December 5 and this year’s theme is “Completion: Beyond Enrollment to Success”. Attendees will engage with Commission staff who lead agency efforts to increase the college completion rate throughout the state. CTE staff will be presenting a session titled “Supporting Postsecondary Credential Completion”.

Individuals can register for the conference here and additional information can be found here.

Last week the Commission released the first State of Higher Education in Indiana report. The report is structured around the Commission’s HOPE (Hoosier Opportunities and Possibilities through Education) Agenda goals. The seven goals serve as the strategic plan for the agency through 2030 and focus on key pillars of enrollment, completion, and graduate retention.

CTE information is included in the report, including data on the college-going rate for CTE students. Find the report and an accompanying HOPE Agenda dashboard here.

The Indiana Department of Education is working to redesign the Indiana diploma. The second draft of the diploma was released earlier this fall and the public comment period closed on November 8.  

Additional information from IDOE regarding High School Diploma Redesign can be found here. The next State Board of Education meeting will be held on December 11.

The Commission is currently accepting applications for the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, which provides up to $40,000 of financial aid to aspiring teachers.

High-achieving high school and college students who plan to teach in Indiana for at least five years can receive up to $10,000 per year of college (up to $40,000 total) from the scholarship. Students must apply by January 31, 2025, at ScholarTrack.IN.gov.

More information can be found in this press release or online here. Handouts are available in English and Spanish. Questions can be directed to NextTeacher@che.in.gov.

Registration is open for the Indiana Work-Based Learning Conference. This event will be on February 13 in Noblesville and is hosted by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s Institute of Workforce Excellence. It includes the annual IMPACT Awards where Hoosier students engaged in WBL, employers, innovative programs and more are celebrated. To learn more about the event and register, click here.

The U.S. Department of Education officially released the 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) earlier this week. The online FAFSA form is available to all students and families at fafsa.gov. Please be aware that students and families may experience issues and lags into the first few weeks of the 2025-26 FAFSA release. Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 167-2023 requires Indiana high school seniors to file the FAFSA or affirmatively opt out of filing by April 15. The 2025-26 FAFSA Waiver can be found here.

October FAFSA Webinar: CHE’s October webinar where Commission staff recapped the 2024-25 FAFSA season and provided helpful information for school staff to be aware of for the 2025-26 FAFSA season can be found here.